The following Atlantic City Gamblers hitters were standouts during the 2048 season:
Left Fielder / Center Fielder Juan Rivera
Rivera, 30, had another stellar season for the Gamblers, leading the team in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs, and WAR. Rivera finished the 2048 season hitting .311/.385/.583 with 93 runs scored, 35 doubles, 6 triples, 35 home runs, 111 RBIs, 37 stolen bases in 49 attempts (.755 success rate), and a 7.4 WAR in 634 plate appearances). Although Rivera performed very well, there are some concerns with his performance -- the 2048 season was his third consecutive season with a decrease in both home runs and OPS. That said, Rivera saw increases from 2047 to 2048 in batting average (.304 vs .311), on-base percentage (.368 vs .385), and WAR (6.6 vs 7.4). For his career, Rivera is hitting .315/.393/.635 with 1,037 runs scored, 301 doubles, 53 triples, 418 home runs, 1,058 RBIs, 290 stolen bases in 395 attempts (.734 success rate), and a 67.8 WAR in 5,973 plate appearances over 9 seasons. Defensively, Rivera excelled in left field defensively (+6.8 zone rating; 1.052 defensive efficiency), but moved over to center field later in the season where he was not as proficient (-2.7 zone rating; .961 defensive efficiency).
Cinema Jones
Jones, 25, had a career year during the 2048 season, posting career bests in several categories and more than doubling his best single-season WAR. Jones finished the 2048 season hitting .308/.383/.578 with 116 runs scored, 47 doubles, 5 triples, 35 home runs, 73 RBIs, 28 stolen bases in 45 attempts (.622 success rate), and a 6.4 WAR in 676 plate appearances. The former 5th overall pick by the Gamblers in the 2041 BBA Amateur Draft had a previous career-best WAR of 2.9 during the 2046 season. Perhaps, the switch back to his more natural outfield position versus first base was a comfort. Outside of WAR, Jones set career-best single season totals in runs scored, home runs, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. Jones started the season playing center field and recorded below average metrics (-8.5 zone rating, .908 defensive efficiency) prior to moving to left field, where he excelled (+1.7 zone rating, 1.040 defensive efficiency).
Third baseman Ernesto González
González, 28, had a career year during the 2048 season, more than doubling the single-season WAR total he had posted over each of the past five seasons. The former 3rd pick in the supplemental 2nd round (74th overall) of the 2038 BBA Amateur Draft finished the 2048 season hitting .331/.347/.491 with 99 runs scored, 47 doubles, 5 triples, 15 home runs, 67 RBIs, 50 stolen bases in 67 attempts (.746 success rate), and a 5.5 WAR in 670 plate appearances. González also provided slightly above average defensive performance at third base, recording a +0.7 zone rating and a 1.000 defensive efficiency. González hadn't shown this level of offensive production since his 4.4 WAR 2042 season (.301/.342/.508, 22 HR, 113 RBIs) - his second season in the BBA -- he had hit .291 and .294 respectively during the 2046 and 2047 seasons, but his OPS+ figure (124 in 2048) never broke 100 in any season other than his 2042 season (113). With four years and $12.8 million remaining on the six-year, $19.2 million contract signed during the 2046 offseason, the contract has been a bargain thus far.
